Start with the claim you want to check

Turn a long post, video or search answer into one question. For example: “This page says everyone should have this test. Does that include someone in my situation?” This gives you something specific to investigate or take to an appointment.

Notice whether you are reading general information, an advertisement or a personal story. A person’s experience can help you understand how something felt for them, but it cannot tell you what will happen to you.

Look behind the page

The Patient Information Forum’s public checklist suggests checking the producer, dates, sources and purpose of health information. Put those checks into practice:

  • Open the organisation’s About page and the author’s or reviewer’s details.
  • Find the publication and review dates. A recent date alone does not establish accuracy.
  • Follow a reference. Check that it actually discusses the claim you are reading.
  • Notice commercial interests and whether benefits are presented alongside harms and uncertainty.

An attractive design or a medical-sounding name is not a substitute for these checks. A quality mark can give information about a publisher’s process; check what the mark means with the organisation that awards it.

Check the original source behind an AI answer

Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust warns that AI search summaries can get health information wrong. A fluent answer can still omit an important exception.

Open the linked page and read the surrounding section. Check whether it concerns adults or children, the same condition or medicine, and the country where you receive care. If no usable source is supplied, keep the claim as a question to verify.

For example, an answer about “self-referral” may describe an NHS service in England. That does not establish the access route in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland. Our Talking Therapies appointment guide identifies its England scope at the start.

Take a short note to your appointment

Copy this outline onto paper or into your own notes. You do not need to enter personal health details on HealthAnswers.

  1. The claim: what the page or answer says.
  2. Where I found it: page title, link and date you read it.
  3. Why it matters to me: the decision or worry it raises.
  4. My question: what you want your clinician or pharmacist to explain.

The NHS appointment guide recommends preparing questions and asking for explanations when something is unclear. Our printable GP questions can help you organise that conversation.

If you find a problem on this site

Use our corrections page to report the affected URL and the claim you think needs checking. Read the byline: this is an AI-assisted practical guide, with public sources checked on the date shown. It has not had a recorded medical review.

Common questions

Does being first in search results mean a health page is reliable?
Search position alone does not tell you who checked a claim or whether it applies to you. Look at the organisation, sources and review information on the page itself.
What if an AI answer contradicts my clinician?
Bring the answer and its source to your clinician or pharmacist and ask them to explain the difference. Do not change prescribed treatment based on an AI answer alone.
Does HealthAnswers have the PIF TICK?
We do not claim PIF TICK certification. We link to its public guidance to help readers check health information, and show the review status of each HealthAnswers guide separately.

Sources